Do you take your valuable basses to gigs?

I am about to acquire a very valuable bass (15 grand-ish). I want to gig with it but I'd be devastated if it was stolen. I do have other nice basses I can gig with. I'll probably save it for very special gigs. What do other people do? I have several valuable vintage basses and amps and I bought them to play, not as museum pieces.

15,000 !! be sure you have insurance for that bass buddy. To answer your question, I have taken all my basses to my church gig, the most expensives being on the $3500-$4000 , there is nothing like play your basses in a live situation.

I'm in the same boat right now, with a similarly priced bass. I ordered this bass to play it, though. I wanted my dream bass, and it's getting here, and I plan on playing the absolute crap out of it. In terms of dings, I've had a Music Man Bongo bass, which is made out of soft wood, and I have only put one tiny scuff on it in two years, and it has literally traveled across Canada, twice, and down the East of the USA.

So really, I wouldn't be too worried. Depends on the neighborhood, too. Hope my story helps your decision!

I say yes, though my idea of extraordinarily valuable is $5,000. $15,000 is a different territory for a bass (more power to you, glad you're getting your dream axe!). But yikes, that would rough!

I always look at it like, if I'm comfortable enough with the surroundings to bring myself, so to I should be with my bass (as long as you keep an eye on it and are diligent about moving it to a safe location right when you take your strap off).

Good question. I just received a used Fender Am. Special Jazz 4 string for that reason. I wanted a decent bass for some of the more "low brow" gigs, and I play my Modulus and Roscoe basses at the festivals, nicer rooms, etc...
Also, cover your foot pedals at gigs during breaks. I have seen beer spilled EVERYWHERE!

"Gig" can mean a lot of things, everything from a well-lit, carpeted stage in front of a church... to a dark dive bar with barbed wire across the front of the bandstand and broken beer bottles on the floor.

You must choose the appropriate-ness of taking which bass to which situation.

Never spent $15,000 for a bass, but I do have some in the $3,000 range. I would never buy a bass that I wouldn't take to a gig. I have very good stands and always place then strategically out of the way. On the other hand I played with a guitar player who would take his 1957 ES175 to gigs and put it on a cheap guitar stand. I kept warning him. One day it was on it's way to being knocked over, but luckily he caught it in time. That was the last time I saw it on a gig. If I could afford real vintage instruments as strictly an investment I'd probably leave them in a case at home.

I usually take a combination of my Ric, Steinberger, or US Jazz to gigs and never had a problem. Those arent $15K but both the Ric and Steiny are over $1800 each and the Jazz is over $1000. Even though I do take care of my stuff, I dont want museum pieces. Put it in its case when you are not using it between sets if you are worried.

I take a pair of basses to every gig, usually from this trio. I bought them to play them out - I do have musical instrument insurance, but I just load my own stuff and my basses stay with me, not with anyone else.

It would depend on the gig. If it were at a decent place in a decent neighborhood then I probably would. If it were a place that allowed smoking then I wouldn't because I wouldn't want my $15K bass to smell like smoke! Either way I would have a good insurance rider on it and put it back in the case between sets.